The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 367

to his neighboura--could be the cause of hio misfortunes and miseries (vere. 2-10), He then proceeds to give an earnest warning ag~inet further indulgenoe in profane thoughts and words, bec&use the fl\t&l end of the wicked man, whatever his course may have been, can be no other than dreadful, like that of all wickod men from olden time (vers. 11-20). 'l'hen comes an invitation to repentance and conversion and to the enjoyment of the blessings promised to the penitent by God (vers. 21--30). I. AccUBATION OF JoB AS A GREAT BINNER. (Vers. 2-10.) 1. These queetionst&ken together (vers. 2-5) form a syllogism ~Zockler). The major premise (vers 2 3) expresses the thought: in God, the all-sufficing One, who is not affected by man's good or evil, the cause of Job's unhappiness cannot lie; the minor premiss shows that if Job himself bears the blame, this cannot possibly be because of his reverence for God (ver. 4); and the conclusion is drawn to the prejudice of the moral character of Job (ver. 6). "Does man bring profit to God? No, the man of sense profits himself." God needs Lotbing, and gains nothing, whether man's conduct be wise or foolish; therefore ifhe has acted wisely, man is but consulting his own interest. "ls it an advantaae to the Almighty if thou art just? or a gl\in, if thou makest thy ways sound?" i.e. pure and free CroU:: blame and punishment. Therefore it cannot be selfish or arbitrary motives which <letermine God to afflict men. "Will be chastise thee for thy reverence, go with thee to j udgment?" If the reason of your doom is to be found in yourself, can it be reverence to him for ~-hich he punishes you f It must be the very opposite. Then comes the conclusion, "Is thy wickedness not great, e.nd of thy transgressions no end?" On the rigid principles of Eliphaz and his companions, no other conclusion can be drawn. "The tbiugs said are good, but they are carnally understood. For the wisdom of the flesh thinks that blessing outwardly belongs in this world to the godly, and to the uugodly, curses ; but the truth teaches that the godly enjoy blessing in this life under the guise of cursing, life in death, salvntion in seeming condemnation ; but, on the contrary, the uugoJly are cursed under the show of blessing, are dead while they live, are condemned tl.iough in seeming safety" (Brenz). 2. Enumeration of Job's supposed sins (vcrs. 6-10). They are the sins of the rich and powerful, such as Job had been, "' For thou didst take a pledge of thy brother without cause," thine abundance rendering such measures against a poor neighbour unnecessary. Note the indignation with which the Bible ever treats sins against the poor and needy. "And stripped off the clothes of the naked," i.e. the ragged, the scantily clothed. Common humanity would forbid the takiug of the last garment of such in pledge; and the Law of Moses strictly prohibited it (Exod. xx.ii. 25, sqq.; Deut. xxiv. 6, 10, sqq.). "Thou gavest not the thirsty water to drink, and didst refuse the hungry bread;~ comp. Isa. Iviii. 10, and the beautiful contrast in the words of Christ concerning giving the cup of cold water to the little one (Matt. L 42). "And the powerful man [literally,• tbe man of arm'], his was,the land, and the man of consideration was to dwell iu it." A picture, as the speaker supposes, true to the life of what Job had been. "Widows thou didst send empty away, e.nd the arms of the orphans were crushed," i.e. their rights and their resources, all that they could rely on (Ps. mvii. 17 ; Ezek. XXL 22). " Therefore snares are round about thee, and terror comes upon thee suddenly" (comp. cb. xviii.11; Prov. iii. 25). The truth of God's special care over widows and orphans, over the poor, the prisoners, and the oppressed is thus incidentally brought out with force. Sins against them are amongst the vilest that cry to Heaven (Sirach xxxv. 14, 15, 18, sqq.). II. W A.B.l>.'ING OF FURTHER PUNISHMENT. (Vers. 11-20.) 1. "Or darkness that thou caust not see, and a flood of waters covers thee"-the night of woe and the deep misery which have come upon him in consequence of his sine (ver. 1). "ls not Eloah heaven- high? "-infinitely exalted-" and do but behold the head ror, •highest'] of the stare, how exalted they are!" (ver.12). Then how idle is every thought of the limitation of his power, and every doubt of the absolute justice of his dealings! In vere. 13, 14 Job's doubts of the jw;tice of God's government are construed by the speaker as denials of God's knowledge of earthly things and his providence over mankind, like the Epicureans ~n ancient and the deists in modern ti.m~. "And thou sayest, What knoweth God? will he judge through the dark clouds? clouds are his. co!ering, that ~e seeth not; _an~ he walketh on the circumference of the heaven," de1gmng not to give heed to this little and insignificant earth. Similar expressions of ancient scepticism are found in Pe. lxxiii. 11; xciv. 7; Isa. nix.. 11>; Ezek. viii. 12. Its refutation is in the words of OH, XXII, 1-30,] THE BOOK OF JOB. 381